Survivor 37 is about to wrap up, and we have Survivor: Edge of Extinction on the table for Season 38. After that, we'll be just a couple seasons away from the highly anticipated Season 40! There's been a lot of chatter about what Survivor might do to mark this huge milestone. While I'd be all for an all-winners season, if that's not in the cards, I can't think of anything more fitting than a re-do of one of Survivor's great seasons, which happened to be Season 20 -- Heroes vs Villains.
I have picked my dream cast for this season. A few notes: if Season 40 is HvV2 or another all-returnee season, I fully expect some EOE and S39 castaways, but since we do not know those casts yet, my hypothetical cast includes players through David vs Goliath. Also, I have four winners (two male, two female) on each tribe (with Angelina Keeley's position in DvG still unknown.) Although there were several other players (Spencer Bledsoe, Jay Starett, and Kelley Wentworth among them) that I thought were worthy of being on this season, they weren't clear villains or clear heroes, so I omitted them since they did not fit the theme. Without further ado, the dream cast of Survivor 40, Heroes vs Villains 2:
HEROES:
Ben Driebergen -- winner of Survivor: Heroes v Healers v Hustlers -- Ben entered HHH labeled a "hero", and I believe he lived up to the label in the game. Despite being on an admittedly controversial season, some of which was centered around him, I do believe Ben played to the best of his abilities and had some true underrated strategy, and finding so many idols near the end of the game was downright impressive. He is worthy of a spot on 40, and his touching marine story arc should leave no doubt in people's minds as to which tribe he should return on for this season.
John Cochran -- winner of Survivor: Caramoan -- Cochran is a perfect fit for this season as he fits the "nerd archetype" beautifully, and played a brilliant, but decidedly heroic game on the way to his win in S26. He's a fan favorite that people would be thrilled to see back.
Natalie Anderson -- winner of Survivor: San Juan del Sur -- Natalie was one that I hesitated "casting" a bit with, as she doesn't perfectly fit the mold of a hero or villain, and the argument could be made that she could be on either tribe. In the end, years after her win, she is still so popular, that I just had to add her on to this season, and I believe that although her gameplay was ruthless at times, that most fans see her as a hero. She'll be a great addition to this cast and add some "spice" to the heroes tribe!
Denise Stapley -- winner of Survivor: Philippines -- This one was easy. Denise needs to be on this cast for so many reasons, from the fact that there are relatively few middle-school players in the cast, to the fact that she is one of the most heroic female winners in history. She also played long enough ago, and was not a "big moves" player, so is someone that I could see sliding through for a while, and having a chance to win again.
Terry Dietz from Survivor: Panama and Survivor: Cambodia -- Terry is the epitome of a Survivor hero, from his immunity streak in Panama to his emotional, too early exit in Cambodia. It feels like more than almost any other player, that Terry's Survivor story has not yet had closure, and it would be fitting for him to find it on this legendary season.
Michael Yerger from Survivor: Ghost Island -- Some people may question whether or not Michael is worthy of a spot on this season among such all stars, but there's no question in my mind that he is. Under 20 year old players haven't had the best track record in Survivor, from deep runs but reckless play in Julia Sokolowski and Will Wahl, to early exists in Spencer Durahm and Jessica Peet. From his gameplay, you'd never know Michael was one of these under-20 players. He played a masterful game with big but smart moves, and under different circumstances, could have easily won. Let's give him a second shot to prove it!
Keith Nale from Survivor: San Juan del Sur and Survivor: Cambodia -- After SJDS, I wasn't a huge Keith fan, and I liked him only a bit better after Cambodia. My main problem with him? His straight up lack of smart strategic play. It actually bothered me that he didn't "play" the fake idol that Wentworth made for him on his exit day in Cambodia. That said, over time Keith has grown on me, and he truly is a Survivor hero. Not a strategy hero, but someone that will lighten up the game, and provide pure gold entertainment. I really do believe this season needs him!
Cirie Fields from Survivor: Panama, Survivor: Micronesia, Survivor: Heroes vs Villains, and Survivor: Game Changers -- Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the person that deserves to be Survivor's first ever five-time player! Universally thought of as the best player to never win, and universally thought of as a hero. Her one pre-merge game was on the heroes tribe in the first HvV season, let's hope she can fare better this time!
Cydney Gillion from Survivor: Kaoh Rong -- To this day I believe that production set her up for a (heroic) return when they edited her Kaoh Rong exit the way they did. I stand by my belief that in a season full of excellent players, Cydney was the best. The girl deserves a return, and this would be the perfect season for it.
Gabby Pascuzzi from Survivor: David vs Goliath -- The most recent boot in Survivor history is already a lock to return, if not on this season, definitely on another. She was a fan favorite, and although she definitely did play with gumption, I believe fans and fellow players alike see her as a hero. Having an emotional, nerdy female on this season would also be a nice touch in a cast full of big players.
VILLAINS:
Sarah Lacina -- winner of Survivor: Game Changers -- If Denise was a lock for the heroes tribe, Sarah is a lock for the villains tribe. She's the best kind of villain -- not one that you want to root against, one that you want to root for given her villainous but incredible gameplay. People sometimes ask "she played such a good game, she's a hero, right?". Great player? Absolutely. Best winner ever. Hero? Hell no. If you had any question as to whether or not she was a villain, the day she got the legacy advantage from Sierra should have answered your question. She needs to return, and she could be out early along the lines of Tony in Game Changers, or despite the big target, could play so well that she'll make it to the end again.
Parvati Shallow -- winner of Survivor: Micronesia -- Parvati may be a bit less likely to return than other people on my "cast", but if it happened, it would be epic. One of the best players in history, she is 100% deserving of a fourth game. I also like that I've cast one hero (Cirie) and one villain (Parvati) from the original HvV, on the same tribe, for the second one.
Angelina Keeley from Survivor: David vs Goliath -- I believe Angelina has leading odds to win David vs Goliath so this could mess up my "two male, two female winners on each tribe" format, but she, Parvati, and Sarah all really need to be on this season. Seeing Angelina play with Parv would be amazing, as I truly do believe that she is Parvati 2.0. Flirting with Nick at the Lyrsa tribal and convincing Dan to give her the idol are SUCH Parvati-style moves, that it would be so epic to see these two queens play together.
Chrissy Hofbeck from Survivor: Heroes v Healers v Hustlers -- Chrissy was a "hero" on HHH so it would be quite something to see her return as a villain here, but it's a no brainer that this is the tribe she deserves to be on. Like Sarah, she played great, but she was a villain, from her blunt comments to big, "what the heck?!" moves. Side note: sorry, Carolyn Rivera, you almost made it on to my "cast" but you and Chrissy are just too similar, and I believe Chrissy is a slightly better fit for this season.
Ciera Eastin from Survivor: Blood vs Water, Survivor: Cambodia, and Survivor: Game Changers -- It's well known that I have been a huge Ciera fan ever since BvW. I truly hope that her early boot in Game Changers will not deter production from bringing her back, because she deserves it. Her gameplay is that of a true dynamic, loveable villain -- BIG. MOVES. No matter what, Ciera was going to make big moves, and when you vote out your mom and force a rock draw, you're not exactly a hero. But it does earn you a spot on Season 40.
Tony Vlachos -- winner of Survivor: Cagayan -- Like Ciera, Tony had a very early exit in Game Changers, but his previous performance makes him a shoe in for a season like this IMO. Tony is Russell Hantz 2.0, the most villainous winner in history, you name it. From spy shacks to llama talk this dude is pure entertainment and full of off the charts gameplay. I would so love to see him back.
Adam Klein -- winner of Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X -- This may be a surprising pick to some for the second male winner on the villain tribe but to me Adam earned his spot on this season, and he ain't no hero. His storyline? Heroic. His gameplay? Not so much. And when casting Survivor, gameplay should be the first and foremost criteria. He made big moves, snuck off to eat snacks with Taylor, found idols, and told countless lies. It all made him a great player.
Jonathan Penner from Survivor: Cook Islands, Survivor: Micronesia, and Survivor: Philippines -- Penner is another possibly surprising pick, but he'll add a nice old school touch and is still talked about as one of the most famous villains of all time. He isn't a Sarah, Ciera or Tony over the top Type A villain, but he's a legendary Survivor villain nonetheless, and would spice up this tribe perfectly.
Domenick Abbate from Survivor: Ghost Island -- This is one of those picks that felt easy. Domenick was a TINY bit too villainous for his own good. His gameplay was electric, and he lost by a closer margin than any other runner up in history. His story feels unfinished, and expect more BIG MOVES from him this season!
Kyle Jason from Survivor: Kaoh Rong -- What a perfect villain to end on. More than perhaps anyone else in this cast, there's no doubt that Jason is a villain. Through and through. From rice dumping to machate stealing and idol fights, as well as aggressive gameplay, he was a Type A villain, but one that fans remember fondly and deserves a second shot.
TO WRAP UP: Although this would be the dream cast of all dreams, there are so many amazing Survivor legends that deserve to be on this season, and regardless of the cast, I really hope we get a Heroes vs Villains 2 (or all winners) for S40!
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